Lithobius forficatus
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| Lithobius forficatus Linnaeus, 1758 |
Lithobius forficatus is a common European centipede. It is between 18 and 30 mm long and up to 4 mm broad and is a chestnut brown colour.
It is similar to a variety of other European lithobiid centipedes, particularly the striped centipede, Lithobius variegatus. However, L. forficatus does not have stripes on its legs. Like most lithobids, it is found in the upper layers of soil, particularly under rocks and rotting logs. This species can be fairly easily identified by an experienced myriapodologist by its reaction to being revealed, which is to run extremely quickly for cover. This is different to many of the other species of large lithobid, which tend to be less extreme in their evasion behaviour.
[edit] External links
- Stuart M. Bennett (2000). Lithobius forficatus. Retrieved on 18 June 2006.
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